Face-Lifted 4x4 Looks The Part, Hard To FaultWhy No Automatic?Rating: **** out of 5

Ascot, SurreyHow could a phenomenally successful company like Honda miss the diesel revolution? The Japanese company has shown the Midas touch with just about every car it has launched; from the little Jazz city-car to the Civic and Accord it has hit the spot for looks, performance, quality and utility.

European manufacturers like Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault and Fiat have grabbed market share by realising that diesel power could not only provide economy victories over petrol engines, but that modern common rail direct injection technology could end up making oil burners superior and smoother performers on the open road too.

Belatedly, Honda has now woken up to the European love affair with diesels. Its Accord has been diesel powered for a couple of years, with a 2.2 litre turbodiesel engine that won rave reviews from day one. That same engine will soon, if belatedly, appear in the CR-V 4x4 Sport Utility Vehicle (CR-V stands for Compact Recreational Vehicle), and the combination does seem to be a marriage made in heaven.

The four cylinder diesel is silky smooth, and even at idle shows itself to be a superior power-plant because of its quietness and lack of clatter. Performance feels more urgent than the numbers suggest, and the 138 bhp motor propels the CR-V from 0-62/100 km/h in 10.6 seconds. The motor sounds quiet and refined at all times, and the six-speed gearbox is neat and user-friendly. There is no automatic version, a major omission, in my opinion.

Honda has decided to face-lift the CR-V range at the same time as the diesel becomes available. There are new front and rear lights, a new front grille, bumpers, and an improved four-wheel drive system. The cabin now sports new chrome-ringed dials, the stereo controls have been moved to the steering wheel, and curtain airbags are standard on Sport and Executive versions.

The diesel version is available from March 2005.Neil Winton  February 5, 2005